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Skeletons
|rarity = Common |casting_cost = |upkeep_cost = per turn |research_cost = |num_figures = |moves = |melee = |defense = |resist = |hits = |abilities = +10% To Hit Poison Immunity Missile Immunity Illusions Immunity Cold Immunity Death Immunity }} Skeletons are a type of Fantastic Unit featured in Master of Magic. Skeletons belong to the Realm, and may be summoned using a Summoning Spell of the same name. Skeletons are roughly on par with most mid-level Normal Units, making this one of the most cost-effective Summoning Spells in the game. Skeletons have a weak attack per , but as a group can still do serious damage to enemy Normal Units. Like most other creatures from the Realm, Skeletons are immune to many different Unit Curses and Special Attacks, and also possess the rare Missile Immunity. Unfortunately, they do not heal at all. The Fantastic Unit Physical Description Skeletons are the bony remains of humanoids, animated into a semblance of life by the powers of magic. They have no flesh to injure, and are covered only by the tatters of the clothes they used to wear when they were alive. Skeletons are a containing up to six of these creatures. Attack Properties The Skeletons' Melee Attack is rather weak individually, with each Skeleton's attack having a strength of only . Coupled with the unit's inherent To Hit bonus of , a single Skeleton will inflict around points of "raw" with its attack, on average. With though, this can still be quite dangerous to low- and mid-tier Normal Units. Defensive Properties Skeletons have a Defense score of , allowing them to block about points from Conventional Damage attacks on average. However, they also possess an inherent Missile Immunity, which raises this to a nigh-impenetrable whenever they are targeted by . This makes them extremely hard to damage with this Attack Type, although it's worth noting that the ability has no effect against or . Like most other creatures from the Realm, Skeletons also possess a wide variety of other immunities: Poison Immunity, Illusions Immunity, Cold Immunity and Death Immunity. These render them completely invulnerable to a wide array of Unit Curses and Special Damage attacks. However, in situations where they do not apply, the Skeletons have a Resistance score of only , which is rather poor, and will not protect the unit very well from ill effects. Other Properties Skeletons move at a rate of , both on the overland map and during battle. This makes them quite slow compared to most other Fantastic Units. As with most other creatures, Skeletons do not heal naturally, nor can they be healed by magic or abilities, with the sole exception being the spell. Despite the logical assumption, Skeletons are not considered to be Undead (as the game defines this term) - they are simply Fantastic Creatures of the Realm. Basic Tactics Skeletons are too weak and slow to perform any radical purpose on the battlefield. On the other hand, they are dirt-cheap, and can be summoned in large quantities when necessary. As a result, Skeletons generally serve as cannon fodder - advancing directly at the enemy in order to soak up damage and do Melee Combat with them. They are expected to survive heavy hails of while advancing, and then do as much damage to the enemy as possible before being destroyed. Enemy Skeletons Skeletons are some of the most abundant neutral enemy units in the entire game. They are commonly found in Encounter Zones such as Ancient Temples, Fallen Temples, Ruins, and occasionally Towers of Wizardry. They will often appear in large groups of at least 3 units, and are usually accompanied by other creatures - particularly Zombies. Skeletons are primarily dangerous when encountered in large groups. They pose some threat in one-on-one combat to other low-tier Fantastic Units or even mid-tier Normal Units, but can be easily subdued with either or powerful Melee Attack units. However, it's worth remembering that will usually do nothing against Skeletons, and they are also impervious to many spells and effects associated with the and Realms. Ability Overview +10% To Hit * This unit has an extra to hit its target with every die of its Attack Rolls. This improves its statistical chance to inflict more with each attack it makes. Missile Immunity * This unit is considered to have a Defense score of against , and will thus shrug off all but the most powerful ones. * and do not trigger this effect, and will damage the unit as normal. Poison Immunity * This unit cannot be hurt by Poison Damage. It will automatically pass any roll to avert such damage. Illusions Immunity * Illusion Damage inflicted on this unit does not bypass its . The unit gets to make its Defense Rolls as normal. * During combat, this unit will spot all enemy Invisible creatures regardless of how close they are. Those creatures become semi-visible on the screen, and may be targeted by spells like any other unit. * This unit may not be targeted by , , , or . Cold Immunity * This unit is considered to have a Defense score of against Cold Damage. It will almost never be hurt by the and spells. Death Immunity * This unit will not be affected by most spells and abilities associated with the Realm. The Summoning Spell Usage Skeletons may only be cast overland, for the base Casting Cost of . Upon successfully casting the spell, the new Skeletons unit will appear in the Town currently containing the Wizard's Summoning Circle, with full Movement Allowance, and may move and/or attack immediately as necessary. To keep the Skeletons in play, its controller is required to pay an Upkeep Cost of per turn. This is drawn automatically from the caster's pool at the beginning of each turn while the unit exists. Failure to pay this Upkeep due to lack of will lead to the Skeletons immediately disappearing, along with any Unit Enchantments currently affecting it. However, this upkeep is for the unit, not for the spell: Summoning Spells can not be dispelled by the enemy once cast. Naturally though, if the unit is destroyed, then it is gone from the world entirely, and there is no further need to pay its Upkeep Cost. Units summoned on the overland map may also be dismissed manually from their unit statistics window the same way as any other overland unit (during their controller's turn, while not in combat). Acquisition As a Common Spell of the Realm, Skeletons may become available to any Wizard who acquires at least Spellbook. With none, the spell can naturally not be learned during the campaign. This is the minimum requirement for it to be traded for, appear in Treasure, or be found in the spoils of victory when conquering the Fortress of a rival Wizard who already knows it. The base chance for Skeletons to be researchable (at some point) in the campaign is roughly 30% (with book), which gradually increases with the amount of Spellbooks possessed or found during gameplay. With or more, the spell is certain to show up sooner or later, unless acquired from another source. It has a Research Cost of , although its research is quicker for Wizards possessing the Sage Master, and/or Conjurer Retorts; or a bookshelf containing or more. Skeletons may also be selected as a starting spell by any Wizard with at least books. In this case, it will be available for casting as soon as the game begins.